Dessert tables were a big trend in 2023, and Abi and Reid decided they would offer one to the guests at their wedding. Included on the menu were full size brownies, 4 inch lemon and chocolate tarts, chocolate covered Oreos, chocolate covered pretzels, and chocolate chip, M&M, and snickerdoodle cookies.

Dessert tables are a great option if you want to break from a traditional large wedding cake and offer your guests a little variety; however, they are not necessarily more cost effective than a wedding cake. With a dessert table, just like any buffet, guests will want to try a little bit of everything. While a guest may pass on a slice of cake, it is really tempting for a guest to grab a small treat on the way to the dance floor or bar. For planning purposes, expect each guest to take an average of 3 items from the dessert table throughout the night.

Think about how you want your desserts displayed and create visual interest by varying the height of your treats. Dessert tables are also a wonderful way to work the "Something old, something new" tradition into your wedding reception. For instance, you could borrow grandma's vintage cake stand or trays from your bridesmaids. 

Want to see more of Sweet By Design's wedding dessert tables? Check out our Dessert Table portfolio. Or Contact Us if you are ready to start planning your wedding cake or dessert table.

Temperatures have started to drop here in north Texas (finally!), and that means fall wedding season is here. Fall is a great time to get married, and vibrant colors, delicious flavors, and cozy vibes can all be part of your wedding cake too. Here are some of my favorite cakes for the season.

Why not bring some of the beautiful colors of the season onto the cake with rich burgundy, orange, and gold flowers and leaves? These deep, warm tones are perfect for the season and look great on a white or ivory cake or even a naked cake such as the one we have displayed here.

Fall means it's sweater weather! I love a cozy cable knit, but let's move past fashion and add some of that texture to the cake! Whether piped rosettes or classic horizontal lines, texture brings visual interest to a wedding cake. We can even go beyond the buttercream and add texture to fondant so that it looks like burlap like in the cake above. While a common element in home and wedding décor this time of year, I do not recommend placing the real thing on a cake as it sheds terribly. Instead, I prefer keep all of the elements on your cake edible and still achieve the look of the popular textured ribbon. 

Instead of a few pops of color in the flowers, you could create a more dramatic look with bold colored icing. Alternately, you could add hints of gold or copper to the cake. Both of these options can help bring a warm seasonal vibe to your cake, and they can help add a little of your personality to your dessert too. 

Whether all the layers are exposed or you just get a hint of the cake underneath, naked or semi iced cakes are a great choice for a fall wedding. This design is popular with many wedding styles, from rustic to boho to elegant. Naked cakes are a versatile option and look good in a variety of wedding venues.  

Cooler weather also brings hunting season, football, and Octoberfest. You could showcase one of the groom's fall hobbies or interests which not only allows the season to shine but also his personality - I love when a couple shares some of their story with their guests! 

I love using seasonal flavors in a wedding cake. The cinnamon in Snickerdoodle, toasted pecans and coconut in Italian Cream, and all things caramel are great choices for a fall wedding. Dessert tables are also a popular choice for fall, I think in part because they remind us of homey memories of mom or grandma in the kitchen leading up to the holidays.

What is your favorite fall design? Let us know in the comments!

Caitlin and Andy were married last fall at Bethel Rock in Leonard. I love working with this venue because they provide a unique area for the cake - a beautiful stone topped sideboard that is in front of a pair of old barn doors. It creates the perfect back drop for the cake cutting photos!

We have another Open House coming up on October 1. This time, we will be at the beautiful Magnolia Grace Ranch in Leonard from 12-4pm.

Magnolia Grace Ranch is a modern farm style venue on 15 acres and features two outdoor ceremony spaces in addition to their reception venue which can be converted to ceremony space during inclement weather. 

The inside of the venue is full of light thanks to floor to ceiling windows surrounding the fireplace. It really is a perfect canvas for any color palette.

Additionally, there are separate areas for the couple and their attendants to get ready for the big day.

You can RSVP to the Fall Vendor Fair on Magnolia Grace Ranch's Event Page on Facebook. Plan to come out to tour the venue, meet some of the venue's favorite vendors, and sample some cake!

Wedding cake toppers are a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding or groom's cake. They can be customized to reflect your personality, interests, and style. There are many different types of wedding cake toppers available, from traditional figurines to modern or whimsical designs. 

Here are some ideas for traditional wedding cake toppers:

Flowers
If you want a romantic and elegant look, you can choose to have flowers as your wedding cake topper Flowers are a classic symbol of love and beauty, and they can add a touch of color and texture to your cake. Flower cake toppers can help tie the cake into the rest of your venue décor because your can ask your florist to provide extra blooms for the cake.

Your initials or last name
If you want a simple and modern look, you can choose a wedding cake topper with your name initials. Initials are a great way to personalize your cake without being too flashy or overwhelming. You can choose from different fonts, sizes, and materials, such as wood, acrylic, or metal.

Traditional couple figurine
The epitome of tradition, the couple figurine, which is usually made from a plastic or porcelain, is a classic topper. With the plastic versions, you can typically find a variety of skin and hair tones that most closely match you and your fiancé.  Porcelain varieties can be painted or left white.

​Pets
If you have pets that are part of your family, you can choose a wedding cake topper the showcases your furry, feathered, or scaly friends. You can also include a custom-made figurine of your pets in wedding attire!

​Hobbies or Careers
If you and your partner share a hobby or interest, or if you love your job, you can choose a wedding cake topper that represents it. There are lots of options including music notes, books, cameras, or sports equipment. You can also have a custom-made figurine of yourselves doing your favorite activity!

​The sky is the limit when it comes to cake toppers, but my favorite has to be:

Anything that helps tells your story
Maybe you accidentally ghosted your fiancé when you first met, have a favorite sports team, met at college, or saw Jurassic Park on your first date. Your wedding or groom's cake is the perfect spot to share your story with your wedding guests. 

If you are ready to start designing your wedding or groom's cake, complete our tasting form and we will be happy to help!

Mariana and Joey had a beautiful wedding at Bethel Rock in Leonard last year. The venue was filled with white flowers which a family member had graciously gifted and arranged for the couple. Roses, and magnolias, and lilies, oh my! When I got home from the delivery I could still smell them all! 

After taking a look at the centerpieces, it was time to trim the flowers left for me to arrange on the cake. The textured buttercream was a perfect background for these pretty blooms, and Joey and Mariana decided on a single cascade of flowers that swept across the middle tier of the cake. 

On the inside, the top and bottom tiers were Italian Cream cake and the middle tier was Red Velvet cake.

I just love when the cake table is decorated. It helps tie the space in with the rest of the reception décor and gives a cohesive look to the entire venue. Mariana and Joey displayed some subtle art, magnolias and greenery, their cake knife and server and an initial for their last name too. And you can't go wrong with the addition of a coordinating fabric runner and cake stand!

Are you ready to start designing your wedding cake? Just complete the contact form, and I will be happy to help!

River Road Chateau, one of my favorite venues, is having an open house on Sunday, August 27, 2023 from 2:00-4:00pm.

An Open House is a great way to tour a venue and meet the vendors they love to work with. There may also be giveaways, raffles, or freebies too. I'll be there with cake samples and will have a special discount in the raffle. 

River Road Chateau is located on 76 acres in Anna, and features an outdoor ceremony space, a 4000 square foot reception venue, and Belle Manor, a guest house that can also be rented for your day. There are also gardens planned by a Texas Master Gardner and lots of beautiful photo locations. 

As if all that wasn't enough, the people at River Road Chateau are what really make the venue stand out. Lori and her team are amazing and truly care about all of their couples!

If you, or someone you know, is planning a wedding, this Open House is the perfect opportunity to get a few check marks on that wedding to-do list. 

Did you know August 8 is National Whataburger Day? Last year, Sarah and Jonathan were married the day before this tasty holiday, and their groom's cake was a perfect compliment to both occasions.

Once the lemon cake was baked and filled with vanilla buttercream, it was time to get to work carving the cake into the correct shape. I created a template from my sketch dimensions to help get the right silhouette. 

Then it was time to crumb coat the cake and add fondant panels to create the walls and striped roof. 

Details really make a cake like this come alive, so I added texture to the roof and drive through window covers, plants around the doors, parking blocks, a street sign congratulating the newlyweds, and their wedding date as the opening hours on the door.

Of course there was also a wedding cake! Sarah wanted a naked cake, but instead of all white, she chose to have chocolate for the middle tier. This created visual interest as well as offering an additional flavor to their guests. The top and bottom tiers of the wedding cake were white chocolate with almond buttercream, and the middle was chocolate fudge with chocolate buttercream. 

Congratulations to Sarah and Jonathan on their anniversary!

When it comes to planning a wedding, some things are easier to account for than others. For instance, most venues only have one dance floor, so you probably only need one DJ. If you are serving a meal, you would plan on one entrée for every guest that says they are coming to share your special day.
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Desserts however are one of those things that are not so cut and dry. Fortunately for your wedding budget, you do not usually need a slice of cake for every guest though. So how much cake or dessert do you really need? Well, the answer depends on a few factors and involves a little math. 

Right now, the wedding planners I work with tell me that about 80% of the guests on the invite list are coming to the wedding. Once at the wedding, only 80-90% of guests will have dessert if they are responsible for picking it up on their own at the cake table. Not everyone will have dessert because they will be too having too much fun on the dance floor, or they may lose time talking with Uncle Joe who they haven’t seen in years, or they may be on a special diet.

The homeschooling mamma in me feels like we need an example here. So let’s say that you invite 200 people to the wedding. You can estimate that 160 will actually come to your event, and you will only need about 128 – 144 servings of dessert for those wedding guests. 200 invited guests x 0.8 = 160 guests at the wedding. Then 160 x 0.8 = 128 for the low end of the range and 160 x 0.9 = 144 for the high end of the range of the guests at the wedding that will eat dessert.
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If you are having both a wedding and a groom’s cake, there is a little more calculation to do. I recommend a 60/40% split when there is a groom’s cake. Let’s continue using the same example. I like to pick the mid-point of the 128-144 range to give a starting point which is 136. 136 times 60% is 82(ish) servings of wedding cake and 40% is 54(ish) servings of groom’s cake. Now that you have a general idea of how many servings you need, we can look at cake sizes that are close to those numbers. 

If you are planning on other desserts like cookies or cupcakes, you can of course reduce the amount of cake, but keep in mind that when you have a dessert buffet, people will always take more than one dessert. FOMO is real when tasty treats are involved. You can count on guests taking about 3 mini desserts when you offer items like chocolate chip cookies, macarons, or lemon tarts, or 1 slice of cake plus 1 mini dessert. 

These are general guidelines and there are other factors to consider. For example, if you are having an afternoon reception and are not serving a meal or alcohol, more people will eat dessert as it is the only offering at your party. If you are planning on saving the top tier of the wedding cake for your first anniversary, you will want to account for those servings in the guest portion of the cake too.
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Of course, there is an exception to the “not everyone will have dessert” rule. If you are having a formal diner which is served by waiters who are also serving the dessert to your guests, then you will want a slice of cake for everyone in attendance. 

​Part of your baker’s job is to help guide you to the right size cake or number of desserts, so lean on their expertise to find the sweet spot where every guest that wants something sweet can partake without leaving you a ton of leftovers at the end of the night.

Are you ready to begin planning your wedding cake or dessert table? Complete the Contact Form to get started, and Melisa will be happy to help guide you through your options.

​You don’t have to look far to find a tradition at a wedding. Whether it’s “something old / something new”, wearing your ring on your left ring finger, lighting a unity candle, the toasts (or roasts), or feeding each other a piece of cake, traditions can be found in every part of the ceremony and reception. When Jace first contacted me, she wanted to make sure I was familiar with a specific tradition – cake pulls.

​According to neworleans.com, “Wedding cake pulls are a local tradition carried over from the Victorian era as a way to wish good luck onto close friends without extending the bridal party.” This is a great option to include everyone when you only want a small number of bridesmaids.
 
But what are cake pulls? Cake pulls are charms with ribbon tied to them which are placed between the tiers of the cake. The charms are iced over so only the ribbon shows. At the time of cake cutting, the bridesmaids and other invited ladies surround the cake, each selecting a ribbon. They then pull out their charm, revealing what was selected. Each charm is different and comes with a card describing what the charm symbolizes.

​Jace’s twelve pulls included a ring (next to get married), airplane (destined to travel), and a four-leaf clover (bring luck to everyone). Music notes, an umbrella, a tree, and a sun were also part of the set. 

​In contrast to her vintage tradition, Jace’s cake was a modern design. The four tier cake was iced as double barrels creating the appearance of two extremely tall tiers. Usually, my cake tiers are 5 ½ to 6 inches tall; however, Jace’s “two” tiers were just over twelve inches each. The buttercream icing detail reflected her wedding colors. She selected white chocolate wedding cake with almond buttercream. 

​Zachary is an avid Dallas Stars fan, and I created a design to reflect his favorite team. The couple selected the team’s alternate jersey colors as a base. I added the logo to the bottom tier, and a jersey with their last name and wedding year as the number. To complete the look I added some fondant hockey pucks and a hockey stick that appeared to go through the cake. Zachary selected lemon cake with raspberry buttercream.
 
I love delivering custom groom’s cakes as the guys are usually wandering around the venue waiting to take pictures when I arrive. They get the first look – even before the bride! There were audible “ohh’s” and “ahh’s” from the groom and his friends when I set this one up!

If you would like to talk about personalizing your wedding or groom's cake, complete the Contact form, and we can schedule your design consultation and tasting.

​Venue - Wildflower Wedding Venue
Planner / Florist - Willner Weddings
Photographer - On the Vine Photography